A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

26 FEBRUARY, FRIDAY, A LITTLE LATER

I was all ready to run into the Warlock Forest the way I usually ran head first into all my adventures, but I had to take pause when our car drove over to the appointed rendezvous point. I watched as Harvey pulled up the midnight blue Porsche onto the dirt track and then slowed alongside a small row of large khaki colored tents. I was not expecting tents, nor the electric generators, portable toilet stalls, or orange and while traffic cones and barricades set up, or the patrolling warriors, or the two jeeps and row of motorbikes parked at the ready... and as if none of these were surprising enough, there were also horses!

"Woah..." River said from his seat behind me, "How did they get the horses here so quickly?"

I think the question should have been, "Why were there horses here?" Maybe we were arriving at a warrior themed carnival, with horse rides and tents... WTH.

Ben waved to us from outside the center tent and Harvey stopped the car where Ben indicated. Ki pulled up alongside us in one of the Mercedes Benz, and we all got out of the car. Harvey, the three humans, and me from the Porsche, and Ki with the other three snow wolves.

"Sam, inside the tent. Dads are waiting." Ben informed me.

"Please come this way." Ki translated with his usual beautiful smile for our guests, "Alpha Kingsley and Beta Lucas have been awaiting our arrival inside."

Beta Glenn nodded his acknowledgement, and we all go into the tent.

I marveled at the Khaki colored extra large tent. It was as large as our conference room, and came equipped with a portable white screen and projector, foldable tables and chairs and everything! Even Mate!

{Mate! ~ ❤️}

I jumped at him before I realized his hand was in a sling. He grunted-growled something lycan, but still managed to pull his cursed arm out of the sling to catch me.

"Why are you still keeping your arm in a sling?" I wanted to know.

"The curse grows deeper each time I exhert it." Bell answered.

Oh, opps. I quickly scrambled off him. My bad.

Meanwhile Dad and Beta Lucas were welcoming our new addition to our party.

"Beta Glenn." Dad reached out to shake hands with the other man.

Beta Glenn took it and returned the handshake firmly, "Alpha Kingsley, please pardon our intrusion."

Dad shook his head, "You're welcome to join us. Make yourselves at home."

"Yah man, Glenn." Beta Lucas shook his head too when it was his turn to shake hands, "I didn't expect you'd come too, but the more the merrier."

Beta Glenn introduced his Snow Wolves as well as the humans present.

Ki introduced everyone on our side too - including my special team, as well as Neil and Jax, Bell's personal guards.

While I was glad that my good beta had increased the security around Bell, you know, just in case the crazy wolves of the Colored Mountains (aka Heller) tried anything funny in the future. But why Neil and Jax? Those two... were they really capable of keeping my luna safe?

Okay, now that I was looking at my mate, cursed arm and all, the truth was that Bell was probably the most dangerous thing around. And tbh, of all my warriors, Neil and Jax were probably the least terrified of my Luna. After all, fools knew no fear.

Anyway, Dad indicated for everyone to take a seat around the table, and Ben switched on the projector to show up the plan of attack. It was all so...so... PROFESSIONAL. I had never taken part in an operation that was so cool before in my life! No one else looked impressed though. What? So you guys set up warrior base camps on a daily basis?

THIS WAS SO COOL! I can't believe I'm going to lead this mission! I was so excited by now that my hair was at a constantly flaring mode.

"Calm down, Sam." Ben waved a stray lock off his face, "I'll start the briefing now."

Dad nodded, "Good. Please do, Ben."

Beta Lucas nodded, "Yes, go on. Alpha says to start."

Ben probably had a rude reply in his head, but for the sake of the Snow Wolves present, he decided to ignore Beta Lucas and start the briefing.

Basically, we were at Ground Zero. First Base was the Rogue King's house. Second Base was the Warlock's Tower. Ben had flashed the map on the screen. Roy had drawn a little red house to indicate his home, as well as a stone tower he labelled as "Fount's Tower". I noticed the map had been simplified to just the three main locations.

I guess that was a good call, since the map also held secrets just for Dad - like where Roy had marked out special places that he thought might interest Dad. Maybe after this, I could convince Dad to let me go treasure hunting in the Warlock Forest. This would be like my childhood fantasy come true!

We were also divided into 3 teams. Dad would be leading Beta Lucas, Bell, Neil, and Jax. I got to go with Ki, Harvey, and the Snow Wolves and humans. My team was OP*. My Special Team was running under Ben. Yes, Ben, the scary beta.

I half expected moaning, and groaning, and gnashing of teeth or some kind of over dramatic response when the groupings were announced, but my special team remained standing firmly at attention in a row behind our chairs. Either they were in their serious warrior modes, or they were putting on a good show for the Snow Wolves, or they were really that scared of Ben. I wasn't quite sure exactly why, but even EJ wasn't clowning around right now.

Everything felt unreal.

I had always wanted to go to the front lines of the warrior operations, but Dad and Beta Lucas never took me. Now that I was here, I had to admit, it was nothing like how I imagined it to be. For one thing, I hadn't expected the briefing. I was just going to run in and everyone was going to follow.

Yeah, uh... In retrospect, this did sound much less strategic than what was happening here.

Ben concluded the briefing in his usual efficient and clipped monotone and I felt confident that I vaguely understood everything.

"My daughter would be leading this run." Dad announced at the end of the briefing. I think by now, it was pretty obvious since Ben had taken us through all the bases, but hearing Dad say it like it was official made me freak out... just a little.

My hair flared.

"Hoo man, too late to panic now." Beta Lucas advised, "Just run. Your dad and I have got your back."

Uh yeah. I didn't imagine leading the run into the warlock forest to be anything like this either.

It wasn't even technically a run. We were going in on motorbikes and horses. TECHNICALLY, I couldn't actually ride either on my own.

"Don't worry." I managed a wide smile as I reassured everyone - particularly me, "I've never failed a mission before."

Of course, I've never actually led a mission at this scale before either, but some things were better left unsaid.

"Fall out. We ride in 5." The moment Ben gave the command, the special team stomped, "Yes, beta!"

Ki led me, his hand on the small of my back as he steered me to our bike. I would be riding with him.

{Not Mate.} Bemoaned Boo.

Stop it, Boo! This wasn't the time to fool around or whine like a love sick puppy. This was probably the most serious mission I had ever run. I couldn't afford to mess up.

The snow fell peacefully around us, and it was unexpectedly quiet. Nothing like what I imagined the atmosphere to be like before running out.

Harvey led the Snow Wolves to their horses. Our two bikes were grouped together with them.

Dad's team was already gearing up.

Even Ben was looking steady astride his own motorbike. The special team lined up their bikes behind his at the ready.

"Goddess, we're ready to set off." Ki informed me. He gestured to the bike. Okay, here's hoping I remembered how to drive this thing.

*OP = Over Powered. Just in case anyone was wondering.